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Guide
Everything you need to know about the rest of the filing process. Two reviews will be carried out: an administrative examination and a technical examination.
The Office will then examine your patent application, which entails:
- An administrative examination to check that the application satisfies requirements as to the form and that the filing fee and any other fees have been paid.
- A technical examination to check that the application meets certain substantive conditions, for example that your application concerns a technical invention and satisfies the unity of invention principle.
If your patent specification is not produced in line with application legislation, the Office will invite you to provide new documents within one month.
Divisional application
If your patent application does not fulfil the requirement for unity of invention, you will need to divide it into several applications, one for each inventive concept in your initial application.
This is known as a “divisional application”, and may be made:
- At your initiative, up until the point at which the patent is granted.
- Upon notice from the Office, within a deadline set by the examiner of your application.
The divisional application will be dated to the same date as the initial application.
Application for a certificate of addition
If necessary, and at any time during the life of the patent, you have the possibility of making changes or additions to your invention.
The process for obtaining a certificate of addition is identical to that required for a patent.
The changes or additions will be formally recorded by certificates in the same format as the main patent.
Starting from the respective dates on which they are applied for, these certificates will have the same effects as the main patent, and will end at the same time as the patent.